Adventures in Africa Archives

5 Things you Must do on an African Safari!

January 30, 2014 By Tam Warner 2 Comments

There is nothing as incredible as an African Safari. Nothing. Seeing these animals in the wild is not at all comparable to seeing them in a zoo or a “safari” park. The savannah goes on forever….truly, the Circle of Life is real. I expected to see Simba and his friends at any moment. I actually saw many simbas (simba means “lion”!). An African Safari is a trip anyone who loves to travel must take at least once in their lifetime! The best experience will include:

africa, safari, African safari — Lemala-Ewanjan Camp

1. Staying at a Luxury Safari Camp. Tent? It is more like a well-appointed suite at a first class hotel. The guides and staff are attentive and make sure you have everything you want. Your guide, or perhaps a Maasai Warrior (at least in Tanzania) escorts you to and from your tent at night. Going back after dinner one night in the Serengeti our Maasai guide took a flashlight to our left and whoa! Hyena eyes, about 6 pair, were staring at us! What an adrenaline rush! The sound of the savannah at night is a symphony (except for the wildebeest who make a really loud, aggravating bleat…no wonder they get eaten, since they constantly announce their location!) The meals are amazing, cocktails before dinner and three delicious, fresh, chef prepared meals a day. Luxury camping is the only way to camp!

safari, africa, serengeti — With Samson, our safari guide.

2. A private guide and viewing vehicle. Now this is a treat. You do not have to worry about “taking turns” getting the best view, or the best camera angle, because you are not sharing that view. It is perfect!

3. Watching the sunset from the Savannah. Sunsets are best viewed with a Sundowner (a cocktail) in your hand, hors d’oeuvres on a small table outside of the vehicle, while enjoying the growing silence. What an incredible luxury, having cocktails on the Savannah while the sun sets! Yes, it is as wonderful as it sounds!

4. Take your photo opportunities when they come! Always, always have a camera ready to shoot! Be ready. You will miss a lot if your camera isn’t ready to go.

safari, lion, africa — Photo Credit: Randy Minton

5. Finally, you must not miss the Big 5, though there is never a guarantee. The Big 5 are Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Cape Buffalo. Having a great guide is the best way to make sure you have every chance possible to see these awe inspiring animals, many of which are endangered. It is just impossible to express the feeling you get when you quietly pull up in the middle of a herd, or a pride of lions. Just….incredible. Breath-taking. Exciting. Awe struck.

Going on an African Safari is always a thrilling adventure. I have done safaris in the African winter, when the foliage isn’t thick, and the animals are easier to see. So….when do we leave?

Tam’s Travel Tips for Africa

October 15, 2013 By Tam Warner 28 Comments

I went to Africa for many reasons last summer, to challenge myself, to experience another culture, for safari, to volunteer ….and I have some thoughts to share regarding travelling in Africa, or any developing nation. The developing countries are truly a different world for the western traveler. Know what to expect when you go.

1. Expect all services to be S L O W. Customer service has never been considered or taught in these countries. You will feel as though you are inconveniencing them at times just to ask a question or order a drink!

2. Plumbing, buildings, streets, etc will not be similar to conditions in the west. Be prepared. I still haven’t figured out the women’s bathrooms where one stall has a seat in the ground…I mean, what am I supposed to do? Not sure I even want an answer.

3. They have no social “space”, they will be right in your bubble. It can be disconcerting having someone so close to you, but they will stuff 30 people in one van (chappa or taxi) so standing 2 inches from you is not unusual.

4. Be prepared when you go to shop: they do not wait for you to look or browse, they start in “selling” you the moment you are within 10 feet. I have been told that unless I buy something their mother, family, child or infant will starve. This can be very upsetting. They will follow you to make the sale. I had two guys follow me from the market in Tofo to Fatima’s, a restaurant way down the beach. They are persistent. Keep walking and don’t answer questions. The minute you start talking, you are in trouble. ALL WESTERNERS ARE RICH IN COMPARISON to them, and are considered “fair game”.

5. Don’t expect the same cleanliness standards. Many people in developing nations have no access to drinking water let alone water to shower in or to wash clothing in. Tiny villages have no water, often the women have to walk for miles to get it.

6. Social customs and mores are very different. I’ve had people bump into me or accidently hit me with something but they do not usually acknowledge it in any way. Also, many tribes and villages in developing Africa consist of one man and his wives. Each wife has her purpose: fetching water, firewood, gardening, cooking, watching the children. I had real difficulty with this one….

Casa Barry entertains children from the orphanageA Maasai Warrior told me that in his village’s tradition it costs ten cows for a wife. Also, the higher one can jump, the more desirable they are. Yes, the higher you can jump, straight up, the more desirable you are. Shake your head on that one! What you think is a small village may be one family for each wife has her own “boma” (hut). Often, children all live in the same boma.

7. You will see things that anger you, sadden you, horrify you, impress you and make you happy. But you will see cruelty and despair here as well. Just re-read my blog An African Owl. There are many lovely aspects of traveling the developing world, you just have to accept that you will not be getting Western style living, eating, hygiene, or social graces.

These are the bewares. I happen to love Africa, and have now traveled in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya (Nairobi), and Tanzania. They are all different while having similarity as well….the poverty exists everywhere, some places are worse than others, but poverty is a constant state of being in these countries. Here are some of my favorite things about Africa:

1. The animals! Under the sea and on land, Africa’s animal diversity is exceptional. I have already written about my disappointment in the marine life in Tofo so I won’t go into it further. But the Serengeti! Lake Manyara! The Ngorogoro Crater! Wondrous. I have safari’d in many countries, but Tanzania is the very best. The crater and the Serengeti are unmatched in my opinion. (I have not done a safari in Kenya, so I can’t judge that, and my Nairobi fiasco was not a good introduction to the country.) The Savannah is vast, it goes on forever, there are herds of thousands of animals: instead of seeing 6 or 7 zebras together, you see a thousand or more together during the migration. Truly spectacular.

2. The terrain and natural beauty. Africa is stunningly beautiful, with mountains and lush gardens, oceans and forests of palms. There is so much to see and do, you cannot do it in a short period of time.

3. The guides and many of the English speaking staffs are informative and friendly. Our guide, Samson, taught us much about Tanzania, its poverty, the government corruption, the poverty, the beauty, the wildlife, its history and its people. It is all fascinating.

4. Service in the game lodges is excellent. Once you are in a lodge or camp you are treated very well. They make you feel very welcome, and have been trained as excellent staff and ambassadors. If you are staying in a good lodge or better, you’ll be well taken care of as far as service goes. Again, the physical environment (baths, showers, restrooms) take some getting used to.

5. One walks almost everywhere. The vast majority of people do not own cars, so they walk. The walking did me a world of good….I feel better physically than I have in many years.

6. The fresh fruits and vegetables! If you can find places not dependent on canned vegetables you are in for a treat, the produce is excellent. The pineapples are the best I’ve ever had, and the watermelon just melts on your tongue. I have eaten more fruit and veggies than I ever have (and I am a vegetarian!). Almost every meal here has rice or pasta….I won’t need to eat those things again for a very long time.

Africa is worth the trip. It is easiest to go to South Africa, of course. For safari, the private reserves at Kruger are excellent, you will almost certainly see the “big five” (lion, leopard, rhino, cape buffalo, elephant). Travel is much easier in South Africa,and I certainly recommend a nice long visit there. To get off the beaten path, it becomes more difficult, but I think the rewards are worth it. Kruger and Serengeti are the two best safari parks in Africa, and here is a major difference: Kruger gets over a million visitors a year, the Serengeti gets 60,000. Why? Convenience. From my perspective, the Serengeti and Ngorogoro are worth the extra effort and expense. The majesty of the Savannah is breathtaking, and can be very exciting! I have experienced many wonderful events, and as many saddening or horrifying events. My trip to Africa did not unfold as expected, but the journey was well worth it. I am a richer and better person for having experienced it, and a more confident woman than I was before. I love midlife!

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The Lion Hunts this Morning

October 8, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

I am now in the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, waiting for our flight to Johannesburg. Ah, Johannesburg and the British Airways Commodore Lounge! It will be smooth sailing after that. Yesterday morning our flight from Serengeti to Arusha, Tanzania left at 11a, so we got up early and did a game drive on the way to the airport. It’s hard to believe, but on the way to the airport, we witnessed a lion hunt and kill. A big, beautiful lioness was standing like a statue on a dead tree that had fallen over. We watched for a while, and then she headed across the field and got up on another tree.

She was close to the road at that point, where 3 vehicles waited, watching her. Leaping down, she proceeded to come our way, right to the car and past us to the other side of the road where she leapt into a tree and went out on a branch for a while, then down again and across the road, passing in front of us again. She did not give even one glance at us or the vehicles. Into the field of waving golden grass, she hunkered down, canvasing the Savannah. Her first vantage point and began to stalk 3 wildebeest who were heading back to the herd. She was downwind of them, so they caught her scent and ran. She went immediately into another stalk, 2 wildebeest I had not seen or noticed were trotting across the field. She let them go by her, spooked them into a run, and the next thing I knew she had a wildebeest down. The other one kept running, then turned to look for his friend. I felt so sorry for that wildebeest…I know I am not supposed to, that it is nature, but I really do believe that animals know each other and feel emotion. The lone wildebeest stood for quite a while, waiting. Sad.

The hunt was remarkable. Of course we’ve seen it on tv a million times, and probably saw it better on the big screen, but watching her, so fluid, so powerful, so sure…graceful in every movement. There was not a sound on the savannah when she took down her prey. Nothing. I guess I expected grunts or screams or something, but the silence was overwhelming. An amazing morning. A lion hunt and kill! Amazing! Randy and I were thrilled!

I saw another sad sight today on the road from Arusha to the Kilimanjaro airport….some IDIOT in front of us had tied up 3 goats in the back of a pick up truck. They were trussed to one another in a manner that looked like torture. I watched in horror and anger and sadness as one of the goats was strangled by the rope. The two remaining goats were still tied to the dead animal, and to each other. I don’t care if he was taking them to slaughter, they should not have to endure torture on the way. The lack of basic humanity (isn’t it basic not to torture another creature?) astounds me, and saddens me beyond words. Life seems to be held cheaply, and maybe I have just been slow to realize it.

Our guide told us about a law in Tanzania: if you are driving and run over a person, killing them, you automatically do at least 3 years in prison. Automatically, regardless. The person must leave the scene and run to the police in order to avoid another murder: their own! Apparently the people around the accident will kill the driver. A little different from the American law: do not leave the scene of an accident. Also, Bangi (marijuana) is illegal here, big fine (which no one could afford to pay) and prison time.

Off to the airport, and off to Nairobi to spend the night. Drinks and a pizza with Randy at the Intercontinental, and now I sit and relate my adventures to you. Off to Johannesburg in an hour, then to London, then Dallas. Now that I am on the way, I am ready to be home. I will summarize my trip soon, the good and the bad, and travel recommendations and bewares!

The Serengeti

October 3, 2013 By Tam Warner 1 Comment

June 11

Serengeti: THIS IS AFRICA! The Serengeti is what you picture when you think “African Safari”. The Savannah (Swahili for “endless plain”) with its umbrella acacia trees, waving golden grass as far as you can see, and HERDS of animals. I have never seen so many animals! It is the “Great Migration”, and Wildebeast and Zebras in thousands and thousands dot the landscape. THIS is Africa.

We have seen just everything here, from herds of elephants touching our car with their trunks to giraffes looking at us curiously from the side of the road, baboons in the trees, herds of zebra and wildebeest (they are almost always together, they apparently get along fine, and there is safety in numbers.) We have seen bat eared foxes (they are adorable), hyenas who were 5 feet away in the dark as we were escorted to our tent on the Savannah, eagles, dikdiks (the most incredible tiny little gazelle type of animals who always travel in mated pairs), a Cerval which is a smaller cat and a night hunter rarely seen in the day, we were lucky enough to see it just as the sun was rising this morning.

Yesterday we came upon a pride of lions….we counted 19 of them! They were relaxing at a creek, lapping up the water and hanging out. We found a wildebeest half eaten in a tree, but we didn’t find the leopard who must have put it there. The kill wasn’t fresh, but it wasn’t old. We have seen lions and lions and lions. Males who hang out on the rock outcrops (kropjes) and amazingly, lions in trees. I have heard that the lions of Serengeti and Ngorogoro are famous for their tree climbing, and now we have seen it firsthand. The Great Migration brings food a plenty to the lions.

We found 5 separate lions in trees yesterday, one was with a pride, and we even saw a male in the tree (unusual since the males are too lazy to climb trees). Randy took photos of each lion, and one of them had a belly so big he had to photograph just the tummy. These lions are fat and happy, their hunts are paying off and it seems they are eating every day. We did see a leopard in a tree as well, but too far away to even photograph it.

A very full belly! Time for a nap. On every safari drive in Tanzania I have been searching for the elusive cheetah. We never saw one in Sabi Sands (Kruger in South Africa), Botswana or Zimbabwe. The Serengeti and the crater are the prime spots for cheetahs, the endless flat plains of golden grass are perfect hunting grounds.

Samson, our wonderful guide, has been searching endlessly. He knows the name of every animal in Tanzania. He has been terrific. Samson met us at the airport in Kilimanjaro, and he has been with us ever since. We ride in our game vehicle, a four wheel drive, and he is our scout and ranger. He has also been an interpreter and has added greatly to our knowledge of the history of Tanzania and of the animals who live here. There are still tribes here, mainly the Maasai and the Suduku, and Samson tells us about their lives. As in Mozambique the life span of these people who live a rural or tribal life is short: about 45 for men, 55 for women. As I said, Samson has been a fountain of knowledge.

The cheetah is the only animal I have never seen in Africa so Samson has been driving endlessly through the plains, the prime hunting grounds for cheetahs. Tonight, on our last game drive, during our last hour, I had my wish granted. Two cheetahs in a field surrounded by honking Wildebeest with a kill (a small Wildebeest). We did not see the chase but we saw the aftermath. I have never, ever, seen anything like it. The cheetahs took turns ripping at the kill, gorging as fast as they possibly could. Samson drove off road and put us within 10 feet of the cheetahs and their kill! One would rest, the other would eat. Then they would trade places. Samson informed us that cheetahs have to eat fast because lions, hyenas and even leopards will steal the kill from them as soon as they get a whiff of it. Cheetahs are absolutely beautiful, elegant animals. These cheetah’s faces were covered in blood. I filmed them until it started to get dark. The safari guides are supposed to be out of the park by 630p. It was 620p and we were 40 minutes from camp. We left the cheetahs dazed and ecstatic and around the next corner: LION. Lying in the middle of the road with no intention of moving. She did finally move, and came around to the back of the vehicle. She did look as though she might find us a tasty treat. A lovely couple from Canada, staying at our lodge, also was with us at the kill and were following us back to camp when we saw the lion. They must be in their 70s, and I certainly hope I am as curious and active and sharp when I am their age (which won’t be long, 20 years?). They have been delightful. We also ran into our pals from the camp of Lake Manyara here, along with an Australian couple and an aunt with two teenage boys. It has been a fun group to be with for lunch and dinner, excitedly discussing our game drives. It is like being with divers, always excited about the last dive, talking about what you’ve seen and how deep you’ve been and where you have gone diving. I LOVE safari. I can’t wait to post this blog and publish a few pictures of the cheetahs!

Eating…I guess this is what they mean when they say “you’ve got your head up someone’s ass?”

Tomorrow begins the journey home. Serengeti to Arusha. Arusha to Nairobi to spend the night (again). Then fly to Joburg, then fly to London, then fly to Dallas. 2 ½ days traveling, but fortunately we are in Club World on British Airways, the loveliest “business” class around. Club World is more like first class, you have your own “pod” with a private tv, drawers and a seat which turns into a bed. They do everything for you except tuck you in, and if you asked, I think they would do that. Anyway, I am very keyed up tonight from all of the exhilarating animal encounters. I will blog more on the long journey home.

Tanzania’s Lake Manyara and Ngorogoro Crater

September 22, 2013 By Tam Warner 1 Comment

June 8

The Massai Giraffe — A Tower of Massai Giraffes

Tanzania’s national animal is the giraffe, and they are EVERYWHERE, which suits me fine since they are one of my very favorites. I’ve seen them in zoos, but nothing compares to giraffes in the wild. The Maasai giraffe is the national symbol of Tanzania and it is much darker than the other subspecies. The pattern is also a bit different, almost more geometrical than spotted. They are the epitome of gracefulness, and they seem gracious about allowing one close to take photos. Ah. So beautiful! Randy is taking a lot of photos of them. He has to admit they are incredibly elegant, and he also likes the gasp I make whenever I see one. I try not to do it, but whenever one comes or I sight one, it is “ahhh”.

Lake Manyara has its share of elephants! They, too, are everywhere. Some of them have incredibly huge tusks. Unlike the Indian elephant, the African elephants, male and female, have tusks. We’ve seen tons of elephants! Very close!

Bird life is spectacular…it is the time of year for Yellow Stork breeding, so they are all over the place, making a lot of noise. HUGE bird.

We met a nice couple at our lodge which was lovely, it is fun to share experiences with one another. Sadly, the second morning I came down with some sort of sore throat and fever, so I took off an afternoon of game driving. I hate doing that! It is like scuba diving, I just hate to miss it, you never know what you might see! And Randy saw, and took photos, of lions!

On our way back from dinner the Massai Warrior walks us to our tents. He carries a wooden tool for attacking lions, but when he took his flashlight and shone it into the tall grass next to the small path…and at least six pairs of eyes were watching us….my heart went into my throat. Hyenas! Just a few feet away. Once we were in our tent, we were told to zip up, because lions had been sighted nearby. Hardly a surprise, I do have to say that the wildebeest is a complete idiot of an animal, bleating all night long, “hey lion, here we are, come and eat us”. They are sadly rather unattractive as well. Poor things.

June 9

Ngorogoro Crater Hotel View from our Balcony at 7000 ft.

The Ngorogoro Crater is spectacular. It sits about 7000 ft above sea level, at least the rim does. Our hotel balcony overlooks the crater, it almost looks like a satellite map or that you are looking at it from the plane. It is a LONG way down. The Maasai, a famous African tribe, live on the craters edge and often graze their cattle in the nutrient rich grass. Actually, Ran was on the balcony today when he heard bells and talking. The Maasai warriors were bringing their cattle by the hotel. The crater is so rich because of its history, millions of years ago it was a huge volcano, but it erupted and collapsed upon itself, creating the crater. Almost all of the animals in the crater are born and die there, the bull elephants are the exception as they leave to mate with females. There are 7 lion prides here. The animals have no reason to leave, the grass is rich and endless on the savannah, water is available, there is plenty of space! The endangered black rhino is here, missing, for some reason, are impala and giraffes. The savannah is flat grasslands with occasional purple flowers here and there. I could not believe how wonderful it smells as you go into the crater. The animals are used to the vehicles and seem fairly unconcerned with them.

Randy took photos today with lions walking around the vehicle, not because they were hostile, just because they needed to go around it. What does Simba (the name for lion in Swahili) need to worry about? Absolutely nothing.

I saw my first jackal, and I was surprised at how beautiful it was. We saw a male and a female. Also the hyena made a few appearances. Everyone says how ugly they are, but I don’t know, they can look kind of cute in the flesh. Obviously, this is African animal heaven in northern Tanzania. It seems as if we are in a documentary! Tomorrow we leave the crater and head for the Serengeti! We are excited to see it, we are spending an entire day game driving. Two more days of safari!

Check out my African photo page for more pictures!

An “In Transit” Adventure in Nairobi!

September 11, 2013 By Tam Warner 1 Comment

This happened on June 7, 2012 after my first citizen science adventure with ALL OUT AFRICA in Tofo, Mozambique! My husband joined me in Tofo), (we love Africa!) then …..

after a nice few days together in Tofo, it was time to move on to new adventures and safaris in Tanzania (*Tan Zain ya). We left Inhambane (In Hahm Bahn ay) for Johannesburg, then the next morning we boarded a Kenya Airways flight for Kiliminjaro with a connection in Nairobi. Kenya Airways was quite nice, it is on the approved European list of African airlines. We landed in Nairobi and headed for the connecting gate to Kiliminjaro, where I quickly learned my passport was missing. I am always very paranoid about making sure I have my passport, so Randy and I were both in shock. And so the saga began…. [Read more…] about An “In Transit” Adventure in Nairobi!

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